‘Frenchy-French’ Toast, Tropical Fruits, Coconut Caramel Sauce By Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

  

February 9, 2018

 

Skip the often-over-wrought night out with your Valentine; and instead, do the cooking yourself.  Brunch dishes are simpler to prepare than multi-course dinners.  And there is the added benefit of starting your day with bestowed love and admiration.

 

This recipe uses baguette (French bread) instead of the more traditional brioche bread.  Buy your baguette two (2) days ahead and wrap it completely in plastic wrap to soften the crust.  Using baguette bread will give you: (1) nice round, compact slices that fit easily into the sauté pan and (2) a firmer finished product, less soggy and less apt to fall apart. Include kiwi and pineapple in your choice of tropical fruit.  Most well-stocked grocers offer a cut fruit selection to mix and match.  And the coconut caramel sauce is a simple reduction of coconut milk with a bit of dark brown sugar, less cloying than traditional caramel sauce and equally delicious.

 

  • Prep: 30 mins
  • Cook: 50 mins
  • Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

French Toast:

1 loaf baguette bread, about 18 inches in length, excellent quality, good crust and firm texture

Batter (custard), for dipping the bread:

6 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

2 cups half and half

½ cup granulated sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon (a pinch) ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons canola oil (plus more as needed)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus more as needed)

Coconut Caramel Sauce

2 cans (13.5 ounces each) full-fat coconut milk

1/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional: for increased richness)

Pinch kosher salt

Adult option: 2 tablespoons dark rum

Tropical Fruits

Approximately 1 pound of pre-cut fresh fruit: include pineapple chunks, blackberries, raspberries, sliced kiwi and one sliced banana. (But use fruit that appeals to you.

Garnish

Optional: powdered sugar for sprinkling on finished dish

Optional: toasted shaved coconut sprinkled on top

Optional: a spoonful of softly whipped cream on top

Directions

1. Buy the baguette 2 days before you wish to make this dish. Wrap the loaf entirely in plastic wrap. This advice is the complete opposite of how to handle fresh crusty baguette…. always wrap fresh baguette or bagels in paper and not in plastic. Wrapping bread in plastic causes the crust to soften. But this is our end game here—to soften the crust! So, wrap your baguette in plastic, for this recipe, please!

2. On cooking day, slice the baguette into 12 to 16, 1-inch pieces. Cut straight across the baguette, and use a serrated knife. Plan on 3-4 slices of bread per person, and I have listed sufficient ingredients for 4 servings total.

3. Make the dipping custard: in a large bowl whisk together the whole eggs, the egg yolks, the half and half and ¼ cup of the granulated sugar. Whisk completely to incorporate all the streaky whites and to dissolve the sugar. Add the vanilla extract, the cinnamon and nutmeg. Refrigerate batter until ready to cook.

4. Make the coconut caramel sauce: choose a heavy-bottomed, stainless steel sauce pan. Empty both cans of coconut milk into the pot. On medium heat, whisk the coconut milk to melt and incorporate the coconut cream into the milk (the coconut cream will have separated and solidified in the can). When smooth, turn the heat up and begin to simmer the coconut milk. (Bring the mix to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer.) Now add the 1/3 cup of packed dark brown sugar and whisk to completely dissolve. Keep the mix at a simmer and cook to reduce the sauce. This will take about 30 to 40 minutes. You don’t need to whisk continuously but you do need to pay attention to it. Don’t stray too far. Cook down until creamy and rich and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Add a small pinch of salt, the vanilla extract and whisk in the butter, if using. Add the rum now if you are making the ‘adult version’.

(This sauce can be made ahead and kept covered and refrigerated. Reheat on low heat, adding a tablespoon or two of warm water to loosen it.)

5. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and put a sheet pan with a rack in the oven. Use this to keep cooked pieces of ‘Frenchy-toast’ warm while you finish the batch.

Dip about ½ of your baguette slices into the batter. Turn over the baguette slices in the batter, let them soak for at least 30 seconds per side.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the canola oil when you are ready to cook.

Working quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Using a pair of tongs, drain the soaking baguette pieces, just by lifting them above the batter and add them one by one to the pan. Leave space around each piece. Fry until golden on bottom side. Turn over each piece and quickly sprinkle the baguette and the pan with a tablespoon or two of the reserved granulated

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